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Advantage Wins Star Award
Press Release
February 25th 2011
Advantage Training Wins Star Award for Ulster
Advice NI is delighted to have been awarded an Aontas Star Award for its Advantage Training programme. The Aontas Adult Learners Festival is an all-Ireland awards programme and Advice NI was presented with the accolade as winner for Ulster at a ceremony which took place in Dublin this week. Advantage is an accredited training programme on age issues and was one of nine initiatives singled out as outstanding example of adult learning. The Advantage Training Programme was developed in partnership with Access to Benefits and Age NI. The course covers issues affecting older people such as health, benefits, housing, age awareness, pensions and community care.
Opening the Festival, Minister for Lifelong Learning Sean Haughey said
‘It is only with well developed key competencies and core skills, such as teamworking, literacy, IT and communications that learners will be able to innovate and create. The festival has gone from strength to strength and has actively encouraged the lifelong learning spirit resulting in increased numbers enrolling in courses across the country’.
Speaking about the Award Bob Stronge, Chief Executive of Advice NI said
‘Older people are often not aware of or able to access their rights and entitlements and this course helps them to do so. We are delighted to have won this award which recognises the quality of our programme which is dedicated to meeting the advice and information needs of older people.
Speaking about the award, Emma Murphy, Head of Training, Advice NI said
‘We are thrilled to have been recognised for this award, we were competing against so many excellent projects. To date over 90 people from various sectors have participated in the course and older people have already begun to benefit. This course would be of great value to anyone working with older people or providing them with information in an advisory capacity. We are excited to announce that we will be launching an e-learning version of this training later in the year.’
Notes to Editor
- Further information on Advantage training can be obtained from the Advice NI website www.adviceni.net or by contacting Emma Murphy on (028) 9064 5919 or emma@adviceni.net.
- Advice NI's mission is to develop an independent advice sector that provides the best possible advice to those who need it most. Advice NI's vision is of a society of confident, informed, and active citizens who can access their rights and entitlements. Advice NI has approximately 70 members across NI, who provides advice on a variety of issues such as benefits, debt, employment & consumer issues.
3. Bob Stronge (Chief Executive) can be contacted for further information. Advice NI, 1 Rushfield Avenue, Belfast BT7 3FP Tel: (028) 9064 5919
The Awards ceremony is the opening event for the AONTAS Adult Learners’ Festival – with over 400 events taking part in communities throughout the country. The website www.adultlearnersfestival.com contains all of the information about local events as well as information and useful contacts for people considering adult education.
